


Sweet Lullaby

by LovesWifi



Series: Maribat [4]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Bustier salt, Lila salt, Lullabies, Siblings, Singing, Temporary Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-22
Updated: 2020-03-22
Packaged: 2021-03-01 02:07:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,918
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23257408
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LovesWifi/pseuds/LovesWifi
Summary: Jason is the best big brother he helps Marianne be calm by singing. She repays him by being his rock and foundation.
Relationships: Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug & Jason Todd
Series: Maribat [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1720171
Comments: 7
Kudos: 393





	Sweet Lullaby

For as long as Jason Peter Todd could remember, he had always been the main caregiver to his little sister Marianne Jiayang Todd, well his half-sister. His mother was working as a full-time doctor to help support their small family. Most days it was hard to quiet the poor little Mari, as Jason called her because all she wanted was her mother, but he quickly learned that the Spanish lullabies his abuela used to sing helped her calm down. 

This is the trick he used when Marianne was two and their stepfather was sent to jail. Mari loved her dad but didn’t get to spend much time with him because her dad hadn’t wanted Mari. She was a mistake in her parents’ eyes, but to Jason, she was his foundation. 

She kept him centered when their mother died when Marianne was just eight. Jason helped repay her by singing Abuela’s lullabies. He helped raise a bit of money by singing on the corner or train station during the day and when they couldn’t reach ends meet, he would take the rest. Mari didn’t like it when Jay-Jay stole, but she knew they needed to survive somehow. 

On one particular night, Jason had gone too big, he tried to steal the Batmobile’s tires. He was caught and took into the care of Bruce Wayne. There was one problem, Bruce called GPD on Marianne. She was taken away and Jason never heard about her again, so he thought the worst had happened. He became depressed and reckless on patrol and almost got himself killed multiple times. 

“Bruce do you know what happened to Marianne?” Jason had asked one day almost two years after he was adopted. He was now fifteen with Marianne being ten. 

“From what I was told, GPD found her hurt and I don’t know anything after that, I’m sorry Jason, but you can ask if there was a different outtake,” Bruce says, patting Jason’s shoulder as Bruce walks past him out of the room to give him time. 

Jason started doing something he hadn’t done since he had found out his sister wasn’t coming with him, he cried. Not just cried, sobbed. He fell to his knees and sobbed into his hands. Not too long after he runs down to the police department. “Please tell me you have news on Marianne Todd.”

“And you are?” an officer says, raising an eyebrow. 

“I’m her brother, Jason Todd, I really need to know what happened to her,” Jason pleads. 

“Do you have proof of your relationship with her?” 

“Here’s my student ID,” Jason says, taking out his wallet. 

“Where’s your guardian?” 

“He’s in a meeting. Please I need to know what happened to her.”

“Come back with your guardian then we’ll talk.” The officer said, leaving Jason alone. Little did that officer know that Jason would sneak back into the police station later that night. “Let’s see, let’s see,” he mutters, flipping through a file cabinet with a flashlight in his mouth. “Ah-Ha!” He says, quietly pulling out the file. Marianne Jiayang Todd, badly injured, sent to the hospital to heal, later adopted by a family in Paris. Jason ran back to the manor and packed a bag including money, clothes, and the picture he had with him and his Mari. The was a problem along the way to the airport, he ran into the Joker. Batman tried to save him, but it was too late and Jason had died. 

He was brought back to life six months later by Talia Ra’ Ghul in hopes of taking down the legacy of the Bat Clan. Talia suppressed his memories of everything from Red Hood to where Marianne was living and also him into thinking Marianne was dead. Not thinking Jason had anything to live for decided to help Talia on her mission.

Marianne missed her brother, he hadn’t come home since his last job. He had become worried about Jay-Jay’s safety so she decided to look for him. She made it a couple of blocks away from their shelter before she was attacked, she had a broken arm from being pushed down along with a concussion. She got up a tried to walk back to the shelter so Jay-Jay would find her but she got kicked in the ankle and it was snapped. After that, the little couple of coins she had and was left for dead.

She was surrounded by a wash of red and blue lights. She felt herself being lifted but didn't have the energy to fight. “Jay-Jay, where are you?” she mutters.

“Miss, can you tell me your name? Where are your parents?”

“Marianne Todd, Mom is dead, Dad is in jail have you seen Jay-Jay?”

“Can you tell me what hurts Anne?”

“My ankle, hand, and head. Where’s Jay-Jay? I want Jay-Jay!”

“Anne you need to calm down, we’re going to take you to the hospital.”

She doesn’t remember much after that. She wakes up, what she is told the next day, with two casts and the lights dimmed.

“Miss, we were unable to locate your brother, and do to the fact you have no guardian, we found a family who would love to adopt you,” the social worker said. “The only problem is that the family lives in Paris, but they happen to be here on vacation.” (I realize there are many steps to adoption but this is just fiction).

“B--bu...but my brother, Jay-Jay, can’t I can’t leave him,” Marinette stutters out, her breathing becoming faster.

“Anne you need to calm down, you need to breathe,” the doctor says. “Can you breath with me?”

“Nam- My my name is no not Anne, it its Marianne,” she stutters out, catching her breath.

“Ok Marianne would you like to get some fresh air?”

“Th- that wou- would be fine.” she says.

“I can not stress how important it is that we discuss this,” the social working stresses, as the doctor leaves the room, dragging the social worker along.

“Can’t you see that she is in no condition to talk about that right now?!” the doctor yells. “She needs to be calm before she accepts the fact that she’s moving to a different continent.”

“I’ll be back in a half-hour,” the social worker said, walking the hall.

“C- can sing umm you sing to me?” Marianne asks, sitting down on the bench.

“I’m not too good, but I can try,” the doctor laughs. 

Marianne sits quietly listening to the song, wind, and the world around them. She starting to calm down.

“Thank you. Jay-Jay sings to me, sometimes even in Spanish,” Marianne says. “Just like Abuela did.”

“Would you be able to talk to the social worker now?” Marianne hesitates, looking up at the doctor. “Don’t worry Marianne, we can take a break if you need it.”

“Ok then,” Marianne sighs, reluctantly.

“Perfect! Times up,” the social worker says, approaching the bench. “So during that half-hour, the parents go there!”

“Hello, Marianne, my name is Sabine, this is my husband, Tom,” the short Asian woman, Sabine, said, squeezing the giant man’s arm.

“Are you ready to head to your new home?” Tom asks, smiling. Marianne nods, standing up.

“She has to have a check-up in a week for her concussion, as her doctor has said,” the doctor said, standing up.

“Wait, I thought you were her doctor?” the social worker says.

“No, I’m an on-call psychiatrist,” the doctor answers, crouching down to Marianne’s height. “Marianne, you ever need anything, call me here.” 

Marianne looks at the card. “Harleen Quinzel?”

“Yep, that’s me! Call me if you need anything ok,” Dr. Quizel said, standing up. “You can call me, Harley, ok?”

“Thank you, Harley,” Marianne says, hugging her waist.

“Bye, Marianne,” Dr. Quinzel waves as Marianne walks off with Tom, Sabine, and the jerk social worker.

Two years later, Marianne Jiayang Todd turned Marinette Jiayang Anne Dupain-Cheng loved living in France even though Jay-Jay wasn’t with her. Her new Mama and Papa were great and treated her like the Princesita that Jay-Jay told she deserved to be. If someone brings up Jason, without Marinette initiating the conversation, she has a panic attack. She doesn’t bring up Gotham much, but when she does she smiles at the good memories and sings along to the sweet lullabies Jason used to sing. Marinette took Dr. Quinzel up on her offer to talk, so once a month they have an hour conversation about life among other things, even after she became Harley Quin, their phonecalls continued like clock-work.

One day, two years after being adopted, she got a call, it was Harley, even though it was not her normal day, Mari still picked up. 

“Hey, Auntie, what’s the matter?” Marinette, now ten, answered.

“I’m quittin’ the villain life. My puddin’ just killed an innocent boy who reminded me too much of you. Can you put your parents on the phone?”

“Of course Auntie! Mama, Papa, Auntie Harley wants to talk to you,” Marinette said.

“Coming sweetie,” Sabine answered, her footsteps following not too long after. “Yes, Harley?”

“Can I come live with you guys for like a week or two?”

“Yes, what’s the matter?” 

“Ya know how I got dragged into bein’ a villain? Well, my boyfriend, Joker killed an innocent boy and I don’t think I’m mentally fine to be alone right now,” Harley’s voice came through the phone a bit shaky.

“It’s ok Harley, but just know that when you are living here, you’ll need to be crime-free, help out around the house, and Marinette,” Sabine said sternly.

“Ok, I promise,” Harley promised before hanging up.

“What happened to Auntie?”

“Nothing sweetie, she’s just tired, but we’ll see her soon, ok?” Marinette nods. “Ok time for bed.”

Harley came and stayed the two weeks, and later got an apartment near the bakery. Sabine and Tom hired Harley for help in the bakery and watching Marinette. Harley was first to find out that Ladybug. That lead to her parents finding out. She was great friends with her bench partner, Alya and the other girls in her class as well as Nino and Adrien. That was until Lila came and destroyed almost all of her friendships, Alya, Nino, and Adrien stayed true friends to her. Lila convinced everyone that Chloe was unsafe to be around and they bullied her until she changed schools. Marinette was on the verge of transferring especially after heritage day.

“I’m going to be talking about my mother’s heritage,” Marinette said, pulling up her slide show.

“You’re adopted though, do you mean your birth mother or Sabine?” Lila says ‘innocently.’

“I was adopted young so I don't know much about my birth parents,” Marinette defends, putting a hand on her hip.

“Well then just tell us about your life before you were adopted,” Ms. Bustier said.

“No Ms. Bustier you don’t understand--” Alya said, standing up.

“Alya, everyone has to participate,” Ms. Bustier said, shushing her. “Now you need to do as everyone else or you can go to the office.”

“Ya know what? Fine! I was born with a shitty father, who was sent to jail when I was four, a mother, who worked as a doctor so she wasn’t around. My step-brother took care of me for as long as I can remember with the help with his Abuela,” Marinette said, tears welling in her eyes. “We lived on the streets for a while after my mother’s death. My brother sang to make money. Nig-- one nigt when eig- I… I was eight, he didn’t co- come home... so I went out looking for him. I got got hurt and hospitalized where my Mama and Papa adopted me.” She finished, tears streaming down her face. 

“What’s your brother’s name?” Ms. Bustier asks.

“Th- that- that’s no-not im-imp-important,” Marinette stutters, rubbing her face. “Ummm… I got-- have to go- go.”

Marinette cried in the bathroom, Alya following closely behind her. “Girl do you want to go home?”

“N… no Ask- Mama and Papa ask-- will ask,” Marinette cried, hugging her. “Can we just stay here?”

“Of course Mari.”

“Can you sing?”

“Of course.” After a song, Marinette is calm enough to go back to class. 

“We’ll be going to Gotham for our yearly trip as planned by our class president, Lila,” Ms. Bustier announces near the end of class. A tear slipped down her face hearing this, but she decided to she missed Gotham, her home. Aunt Harley promised to come and be there just in case something happened to her.

Jason went back to Gotham after Talia finished training him. He was determined to get revenge for the Bats taking away his princesita. The Bats let her die and they were going to pay for it.

Marinette’s class was at the Museum of Gotham, then there was a problem, Joker attacked. Marinette distracted Joker and his goons so the class could getaway. She kneels down as the goons ties her arms behind her back.

“You’re pretty bold little foreign girl, but I guess that makes sense because you don’t know how dangerous I am,” Joker says, putting a finger under her chin to lift her head. “Perfect hostage, blue eyes, raven hair, just like Batsy likes. Watch her, the rest, follow me.” He finished, walking away.

When she heard the door click she subtly turned her head to see where the goons where. She starts crying, cathing a goon’s attention. “Shut up girl.” the goon commands. When she doesn’t stop the goon approaches her so head butts him in the stomach before standing. She jumps over tied arms and swings at the goon that came over as soon as the first goon was hit. The third one tries to grab her from behind, so she kicks him the groin as he falls she kicks him in the nose.

She hears noises at the door that Joker and a couple of his goons left by. As she’s about to open it when the doorknob wiggles before being thrown open. The youngest Robin stood on the other side.

“Are you ok, miss?”

“Umm… yes, I’m ok, but you should those guys, the last guy might have a broken nose,” Marinette said, pointing with both hands towards the room. “Can you help me untie this?”

“Um sure!” He said, untying the ropes. 

“Hey! We got another in here, heavily armed, dangerous,” Red Robin called from the previous room.

Robin left the room, telling her to stay there, but Marinette being the person she is, didn’t listen. She entered the room to see a man in a tan trench coat and a red helmet. 

“You didn’t even try to help her! You left her for dead,” he screamed.

“Who? There a lot of people we can’t save but we try everything we can,” Nightwing said.

“Marianne! She’s all I had! You’re all going to pay!” He screamed.

“Marianne? Jay-Jay,” Marinette mutters to herself before raising her voice. “Jay-Jay!” Catching his attention he turns her voice. She sings softly as he approaches her. “You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are gray. You'll never know dear, how much I love you. Please don't take my sunshine away” He drops his guns, rips off his helmet, and envelopes her in a hug.

“Marianne, Princesita, she told me you were gone. She told me you were dead,” Jason said, letting tears fall.

“Jason I thought you were dead, you never came home that night,” Marinette said, crying into his shoulder.

“Jason I thought you were dead!” Batman says, approaching the siblings.

“How do you know him?” Marinette asks, stepping back from Batman.

“His adopted father.” 

“I was dead, Talia brought me back and told me you, Marianne was dead and it was Batman’s fault.”

“That wench did it again,” Robin sighed.

“What do ya mean?” Jason asks, breaking the hug to look at the people around him.

“I’m her son and she messed me up big time,” Robin explained.

“Sweetie! I heard what happened! Hey! Let me through!” a familiar voice came from down the hall. Not too long after the familiar face of Harley Quin entered the room. “Mari! Are you ok?” She rushed over checking for anything amiss.

“Seriously hasn’t enough happened today,” Red Robin sighs.

“Harley, where’ve been?” Batman sighs.

“I’ve been taking care of Sweetie.”

“Auntie has been very good she hasn’t done any crime!” 

“Joker bette’ not of hurt ya at all or I’ll rip off his balls,” Harley said, hugging Marinette. “Marinette is that your brother? You’re the one that Joker killed? That bastard!”

“Marinette?” Jason asked, turning to look at his little sister.

“I changed my name after moving, it hurt too much to keep my name,” Marinette explained. “But I think I could go back to Marianne now.”

“Let’s go, Sweetie, the police need to take your statement,” Harley said, grabbing Marianne’s hand.

After the statement is taken, Marianne turned to her class and says with a smile. “Lila you may be a lying sack of shit, but because of your attempts to hurt me, I found my brother. And I, Marianne Jiayang Todd couldn’t be happier. Thank you for making my life miserable so I could have a great full life with my brother and the people I care about.”

“Let’s go Princesita,” Jason said, kissing her head. Before they, Harley, and Jason, get into a cab and head to the manor to talk through everything.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed! Go check out my tumblr @loveswifi. Kudos and comments appreciated! Thank you! Lots of Love. -Wifi


End file.
